Bayern Munich vs TSG Hoffenheim

Out-of-sorts Bundesliga leaderes Bayern Munich will be looking to steady the ship when they meet bottom-half high-flyers TSG Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich’s humiliating 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in midweek Champions League action culminated with a feisty bust-up between Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane, resulting in the Senegalese star’s suspension. The ‘Bavarians’ must shrug off the stress if they’re to win an 11th straight Bundesliga title, with only two points separating them from second-placed Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of this round. Thomas Tuchel has won both league games in charge of Bayern and will be looking to maintain his flawless Bundesliga start against a Hoffenheim side his men have lost to only once in their 14 top-flight H2Hs on home turf (W11, D2). Indeed, the record-time German champions have netted an intimidating average of 3.2 goals per game across those 14 H2Hs, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring fixture.

Meanwhile, visiting TSG Hoffenheim clinched a crucial 2-0 home triumph over basement boys Schalke 04 last weekend, making it three wins on the trot in the Bundesliga and steering four points clear of the drop zone. Strong starts have provided the backbone for Hoffenheim’s mini-revival, as they avoided conceding a first-half goal in each of those three victories. Despite securing more wins in their last three Bundesliga outings (3) than in their previous 20 top-flight fixtures combined (2), ‘Die Kraichgauer’ look doomed, having lost their last two league visits to Bayern by an aggregate score of 8-1, conceding precisely four goals on each occasion.